Despite the United States Tennis Association’s attempt to censor the U.S. Open audience’s reaction to Donald Trump‘s presence at Sunday’s Men’s Final, the stands were filled with a passionate response.
Trump was met with a mix of both boos and cheers as he stepped out from the Rolex Suite at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to greet the crowd gathered to watch Jannik Sinner of Italy take on Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.
According to a pool report, the stadium was around 10 percent full when Trump stepped out from his suite to wave, with no PA announcement preceding his appearance. Meanwhile, the match was delayed by around 30 minutes to accommodate long lines for the beefed-up security.
Following a USTA memo sent to ESPN, Sky Sports and more, ABC appeared to mute the audience reaction to Trump, instead playing music over his appearance.
The memo asked “all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity.”
Shown on ABC, ESPN Unlimited and other platforms of the sports giant, the dramatic battle between Carlos Alcaraz (who won the U.S. Open title in 2022) and Jannik Sinner (who won Wimbledon two months ago) was set to start at 11 am PT/2 pm ET.
Having won in 2024, Aryna Sabalenka remains the U.S. Open’s women’s champion. The Belarusian player defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets earlier today. Sabalenka was applauded and received a standing ovation for her hard fought second consecutive Ashe victory.
